Challenge vs LeMons

I have never done a crapcan race before but I have raced an ITA car for 4 years. I have done the challenge twice.

I made money on both challenge cars when I sold them after the event. In fact I almost doubled my money on the BMW engine RX7.

It would seem that you could get an inexpensive SCCA legal IT or NASA classsed car for the same price that you guys are mentioning for a crap can car. (I sold my sorted ITA MR2 for $3900 a few years back) Other then the track time advantage it would seem a more traditional club racing car would be a better investment. You could use it for a long time and sell it for what you bought it for as long as you don't ball it up or buy a built engine etc.

A typical SCCA weekend between Practice, Qualifying, Enduro race nets a pretty decent amount of track time as well and has lower entry fees.

Tyler H wrote: I've done 4 lemons races and 1 chump race. One thing they have in common: I've never seen any debauchery approaching what I read about at the challenge.

My interpretation is that the grand total time of all the "debauchery" or "incidents" at the challenge was maybe 5 minutes. The rest was a bunch of guys who would have been fine in a bar but were instead in a parking lot or down by the pool.

I am sorry if it seems I am calling you out Tyler H, you just happened to be the one to mention it when I had time to type. It seems to me that discussing the incidents on the forum gave everyone the incorrect opinion that it was a drunken madhouse filled with degenerates and despots.

I forgot to mention that we have DNF'd 4 of 5 crapcan races. I won't be doing another one unless I buy a seat.

I think a lot of mid-pack ITA/ITB cars would also blow up around 5 hours in. 5 hours in seems to be the witching hour...we've never had a failure less than 5 hours into a LeMons race.

It's one thing for a car to last for a sprint race, or even a 2hr enduro...totally different to make it for 8-24hr straight.

I wouldn't have done this many crapcan races if it weren't for the opportunity to race with my group of friends, some of whom are not going to go get licensed and club race.

Buying a seat in a crap can offers an excellent way to dip a toe in club racing and get over the learning curve of traffic management quickly.

If you're committed to it, I'm convinced it's cheaper and easier to club race. If you're not sure, it's cheaper to take a test drive in crap can series.

As for the debauchery comment: no offense taken at all. I think that a hotel condenses a lot of drunkeness into a single confined (public) space versus a track infield in the middle of nowhere. Some of these incidents probably wouldn't have happened if the violators could have staggered back to a tent. I'm looking forward to doing a Challenge some year, and I will bring my kids.

Back to the original question of cost....

Assuming just running Lemons once and not defraying the cost over multiple events, Lemons will cost more unless you have considerably higher travel expenses to get to the Challenge.

A Lemons car is not cheaper despite the illusion of $500 vs $2011

The Lemons entry fees are considerably higher

The on track/at event fuel bill will be higher

The personal safety equipment will cost more

That being said they are both great events and both well worth the price of admission. Personally, if I had to choose, I'd do the Challenge. But it's really all a matter of personal preference.

All-in, it will cost at least $5k to prep a LeMons car, register it and get it to an event. I've been involved with two efforts and both were north of $5k when the first green flag was waved.

I'm definitely sticking with a challenge car. I wouldn't have the funds for a LeMons car.